ACCC chairman Rod Simms told the ABC regional consumers were probably right to feel they were being gouged by petrol retailers.

"Traditionally we have a gap between rural and regional prices and city prices of about six cents a litre," he said.

"That gap has now tripled to 18 cents a litre. That is very hard to understand and we're very concerned about that."

In WA, Fitzroy Crossing charges the most out of all regional centres, with petrol averaging 174.7 cents per litre last week.

There's a few links in the chain and we're down the bottom of the chain.

BP Fitzroy Crossing manager Sheryl Wilson

The price has dropped since six months ago when the average there was 190 cents per litre.

However nearby Broome has seen petrol drop a similar amount as Perth.

BP Fitzroy Crossing manager Sheryl Wilson said remote towns usually got their fuel from second or third-hand suppliers in larger towns, who set the price.

"There's a few links in the chain and we're down the bottom of the chain," she said.

"So it just depends how many hands that particular product goes through before it gets to the end seller, and everybody's going to put their little bit on top because we all can't afford to do things for nothing."

Ms Wilson said freight had always been a factor behind the higher prices paid for fuel in regional and remote areas.

"The further away from the actual source of the goods you are, obviously the more expense you're going to have to incur to provide that product to the paying public," she said.

"It's a vital service, particularly when you're in a remote area, to be able to provide fuel and our aim is to try and provide fuel at a reasonable price to all of our customers."

Ms Wilson said the operating costs were much higher in remote areas, with Fitzroy Crossing using power from a generator to operate the bowsers.

"Utility charges - probably across Australia, but Western Australia in particular - are very, very expensive and we pay a commercial rate for our power so all of that has so be factored in to the selling price of your fuel," she said.

Bowser pain not so sharp in south

In Mount Barker, in the state's south, motorists were paying around 125 cents per litre for unleaded petrol today.

Motorist Alan Somerville said he had seen a gradual drop in the price of petrol.

"If the fuel went down it would be a lot better but it has been creeping down slowly the last couple of weeks," he said.

"I would expect it will drop down for the country people by a lot more... the price of fuel has dropped down but I suppose we have to use up what we've got in storage here in WA for the time being, until we can get the cheaper price."

Great Southern truck driver Tim Dewar said he also hoped the savings would be passed on once fuel stations bought petrol at a cheaper price.

"They've just got to be accountable for how many litres they buy at what price, to how many litres they sell at what price, I think," Mr Dewar said.

WA's fuel watchdog ensures prices do not fluctuate throughout the day, but it cannot regulate or set pricing.

Petrol stations must advise the FuelWatch by 2:00pm of their next day's retail price before adjusting the price.

They must hold that price for 24 hours from 6:00am.

FuelWatch manager Lynne Gould said over the last 10 days fuel prices in regional areas had started to fall, with daily reductions in some areas.